The Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) Project:
During Wildlife Week 2025 celebrations at the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, Union Environment Minister launched five major conservation projects and four national-level wildlife monitoring programmes.
- The Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) is a new national-level initiative by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
- The project will be implemented over 2025–28, with a total outlay of ₹88.7 crore, coordinated centrally by NTCA and executed through state forest departments.
- Aim is to reduce human–tiger conflicts in non-reserve landscapes by ensuring safe coexistence between people and dispersing tigers, o protect tigers that move beyond reserve boundaries due to habitat fragmentation, growing populations, and shrinking corridors, to foster a landscape-level conservation approach, balancing ecological sustainability with human safety and livelihoods.
Key Features of the Project:
- Encompasses 80 forest divisions in 17 tiger-range states, including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh.
- Focuses on buffer and corridor areas adjoining high-density tiger reserves.
- Deployment of AI-based early warning systems, camera traps, GPS-enabled patrolling, and data analytics for wildlife tracking.
- Formation of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) with local youth, equipped with rescue tools, tranquilization gear, and vehicles.
- Launch of “Bagh Mitra” (Tiger Friends) outreach programmes and jungle camps for students to promote coexistence.
- NTCA will oversee project implementation.
- Chief Wildlife Wardens (CWLWs) and State CAMPA authorities will manage funds and execution at the ground level.
